Month: August 2018

Friday: Trust

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O God, teach us to be honest and good. Help us to become the people you would have us be. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully to this reminder from Luther’s Small Catechism.

We should fear and love God so that we do not show contempt for our parents and others in authority, nor provoke them to anger, but respect, obey, serve, love, and honor them. (Luther’s Small Catechism)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: What does it mean to “show contempt?” Why doesn’t God want us to show contempt to the good adults in our lives?

Child: What are some ways we can serve the people around us each day?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for our parents, our teachers, and for other leaders in our community, as well. Help us to treat them with honor and respect. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Wednesday: Mercy

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you … in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty God, speak to us today through your Word. Make us sturdy in faith, and merciful to all. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 18:7-8
Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place. Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized. (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: What does it mean to “put our faith in the Lord,” like Crispus did? How does that affect the way we live our lives?

Child: What do you think kept Paul from giving up after having so many hard experiences? How did he keep going and reaching out to new people?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

God of grace, thank you for the gift of baptism, which makes us your sons and daughters. Because we belong to you, we need never fear anything in this world. Help us put our faith in you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday: Struggle

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord God, our true strength comes from you, above all else. Help us to remember this promise always, especially when we feel alone in a crowd. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 18: 4-6
Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over. But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles.” (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: What does it mean to “insult” someone? Have you ever insulted anyone — or been insulted, yourself? How did you handle that?

Child: Why do you think Paul “shook the dust from his clothes”? What did that mean to him?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Heavenly Father, when people turn against us, we feel sad and left out. Remind us that even if that happens, you are always there for us. Thank you for being our truest friend. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Monday: Understanding

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God's name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you …
in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

O God, make us wise. Help us to know when to listen, when to speak, and when to be silent. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as the Bible story for the week is read aloud.

Acts 18:1-11
Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he met Aquila, a Jewish man from Pontus. Not long before this, Aquila had come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Emperor Claudius had ordered the Jewish people to leave Rome. Paul went to see Aquila and Priscilla and found out that they were tent makers. Paul was a tent maker too. So he stayed with them, and they worked together.

Every Sabbath, Paul went to the Jewish meeting place. He spoke to Jews and Gentiles and tried to win them over. But after Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, he spent all his time preaching to the Jews about Jesus the Messiah. Finally, they turned against him and insulted him. So he shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “Whatever happens to you will be your own fault! I am not to blame. From now on I am going to preach to the Gentiles.”

Paul then moved into the house of a man named Titius Justus, who worshiped God and lived next door to the Jewish meeting place. Crispus was the leader of the meeting place. He and everyone in his family put their faith in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard the message, and all the people who had faith in the Lord were baptized. One night, Paul had a vision, and in it the Lord said, “Don’t be afraid to keep on preaching. Don’t stop! I am with you, and you won’t be harmed. Many people in this city belong to me.” Paul stayed on in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching God’s message to the people. (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: What is the most interesting trip you ever took? How did people treat you in that place?

Child: Paul travelled all over, and preached about Jesus wherever he went. Have you ever talked about Jesus to someone you didn’t know well? Why can that be a hard thing to do?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Lord God, it can be hard for us to talk about our faith. Help us to share the good news of your love with others, and to do so bravely. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Saturday: Generosity

Pray: Begin by making the sign of the cross and calling upon God’s name.

From God to us, from death to life, from me to you … in the name of the Father, and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Mighty Lord, you can do anything! Teach us what you would have us know, and lead us so that we can make a difference in the lives of others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Listen: Listen carefully as these verses from the Bible are read aloud.

Acts 17:32-34
As soon as the people heard Paul say that a man had been raised from death, some of them started laughing. Others said, “We will hear you talk about this some other time.” When Paul left the council meeting, some of the men put their faith in the Lord and went with Paul. One of them was a council member named Dionysius. A woman named Damaris and several others also put their faith in the Lord. (CEV)

Engage: Talk about the Bible by having parents respond to children’s questions.

Child: Why do you think some people laughed when Paul said that Jesus had been raised from the dead?

Child: Do you think it was hard for Paul to keep sharing the Good News after being laughed at? What kept him going?

Affirm: Pray for God to put his Word into action in your daily life.

Merciful Lord, even when you are rejected, you continue to reach out to us. Thank you for your love and patience. Help us to be patient with others, in return. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Holy Families! is an initiative of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC) and Sola Publishing, provided through a generous grant from the Thrivent Foundation, in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation (1517-2017).

The Holy Family Time daily devotional is written by: Mrs. Kelly Hanson (Ladysmith, WI) and Rev. Steven E. King (Oakdale, MN).